Beer route drivers and their assistants play a major role in the supply line from brewery to final account locations -- the supermarkets, taverns and restaurants that sell their beer and other products to consumers. In addition to their role in transporting products from distributors' warehouses to customers in fulfillment of orders, they often function as important participants in the marketing process.

Chief Duties of Beer Route Assistants

The route assistant must always work in a safe manner, especially when driving. He must also follow the work guidelines of his employer, the distributor. These guidelines might include helping the establishment with restocking beer and other products and setting up displays. Assistants also provide promotional items such as coasters and point-of-sale advertising material, like posters, usually placing them near the cashier.

What Else the Assistant Does

The assistant should be ready at all times to take over the driver's responsibilities in case of absence or another reason. Other duties include maintaining good relations with personnel at account locations and helping to keep storage areas clear. He also assists the driver in performing pretrip and post-trip inspections of the vehicle and the load.

Government Regulations That Apply

The assistant must keep in mind his responsibility to adhere to regulations under the federal Motor Carrier Act, especially the requirement for a valid commercial driver's license and the importance of following safety rules during deliveries. Job applicants' driving records must meet state standards, which normally don't tolerate serious traffic violations. Applicants must also pass a background check and drug screening.

How to Become a Beer Route Assistant

Employers usually require a high school diploma or GED. Job applicants should have at least one year's work experience, preferably in a grocery or consumer products environment. Employers require a good driving record and a valid class A commercial driver's license. That license permits the driver to operate trucks with a semitrailer or a trailer with two or more axles.

What Skills They Need

Route assistants should be able to operate the types of trucks owned by their employers. In addition, they should be able to handle two-wheeled or four-wheeled dollies and to perform physically demanding work, such as lifting cases of beer and kegs. Another required physical task is handling fully loaded wheelers -- sometimes called hand trucks -- that might weigh up to 300 pounds. Employers also expect route assistants to have good communication and organizational skills. Applicants should have good vision that enables them to read code dates accurately and to assist the driver by being able to read smaller print. They should possess basic math skills to make calculations on the job. Another requirement is the ability to read, speak and write in English.

About the Author

Charles Crawford, a former commercial banker, has been a business writer in New York since 1990. He has produced marketing materials for an executive outplacement firm, written the quarterly newsletter of a medical nonprofit organization and created financing proposals/business plans. Crawford holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Science in international affairs from Florida State University.